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The burglary described below actually happened as described—I did it! But it could’ve been prevented.

Getting In

I drove past security and parked, walked unnoticed to a side entrance, picked the lock, and was in the stairwell, all within a few minutes. I went to the 15th floor, slowly opened the door to the hallway and heard nothing. The silence encouraged me. Stepping into the hallway, I saw no one.

Feeling the wealth around me in the deep plush carpeting and beautifully colored wallpaper, I knew there was a great “score” on this floor, but where?

Which condo do I “work”? Because end dwellings are larger and more costly than those in the middle, those were my primary targets.

First, I went to my right. With my right ear pressed against the door and a clear view down the hall, I heard people inside (a hollow door amplifies sound).

Quickly walking to the other end of the hall, I stopped to adjust the picks in my sport coat. Doing that, I broke my stride, tripped and smashed into an apartment door. The door opened and a sweet, elderly lady said, “Hi.”

I responded, “Hello. Wait, you’re not Joan.”

“I know that.” she answered. “The question is, who are you?”

I went into my act and introduced myself. Giving a phony name, I used the address of the building next door. “Joan lives there, same apartment, 15-B. Gee, I made a mistake, wrong building. Sorry to disturb you.”

Politely she responded, “Young man, you look thirsty, Would you like a cold drink?” She invited me in to meet her husband. I learned that, like myself, they were from New York City and we had a great conversation. After an hour, I thanked the couple for the iced coffee and Danish pastry and left.

Fifteen minutes later, still in the same building and just two floors above that sweet, elderly couple, I was picking the locks of Condo 17-B.

It was an okay score, about $10,000. It went like clockwork—the jewelry was in the master bedroom waiting for me.

Getting Out

As I left the condo, I heard the elevator doors open. Out stepped a young man who apparently had just finished playing tennis. This could be a problem. My only way out now was the elevator because using the stairs would look odd.

We exchanged greetings and then he challenged me, “What are you doing here? Who are you visiting? Once again, my routine; phony name and address of the building next door. “Gee, I made a mistake, wrong building. Hope you enjoyed your tennis. Have a nice day!”

I had two options after entering the elevator: ride down a few floors, get off and re-enter the stairwell to exit the building or stay on the elevator all the way down and face the doorman on the way out.

My instincts told me the young man did not buy my act and with lock picks and stolen jewelry in my pockets, I had to get away from that building as quickly as possible. Meeting the police that day was not on my agenda, so I stayed in the elevator.

As I walked past the doorman, he called to me. I was tense and ready for any confrontation. “What?” I barked at him, hoping to intimidate him.

“Sir, it’s getting hot out there,” he said. “You’re going to be uncomfortable in that sport coat.”

I thanked him for his concern, exhaled and left smiling.

Don’t Hesitate to Call the Police

People who hesitated, or were reluctant to call police, enabled me to remain prosperous and free for years.

Most people don’t call police because they don’t heed their instincts. They rely on logic to guide their actions. Residents who are not sure a crime is being committed do not want to look foolish when the police arrive. Sadly, others don’t want to get involved.

As a successful thief, I used those hesitations to my advantage. You see, getting in and out of the building as fast as possible and not being challenged is key to a successful burglary, and their hesitation made it possible.

Follow your instincts! Strangers should not be roaming your hallways. Always call police immediately. They will not laugh or reprimand you if the stranger is an honest person with a valid reason for being there.

Contrary to what most people believe, your home does not begin at your front door. Your home extends to your surroundings; the hallway, the lobby, the pool and the parking area. Be on guard for that well-dressed, quick-talking stranger who seems to belong, but isn’t familiar.

There is always a phone close by, use it! The combination of you, your telephone, and law enforcement will help prevent crime in and around your home.

George Feder is a former master jewel thief and former America’s Most Wanted Correspondent. Visit GeorgeFeder.com or follow him on Twitter (@GeorgeFeder) to go inside the criminal mind and get tips on how you can stay safe.

Last week, outside of a homecoming dance held at Richmond High School, in Richmond, Calif., a 15-year-old girl was gang raped and sexually assaulted for over 2 hours by a handful of young men while onlookers watched. It was not until one student overheard others bragging about it at the dance that the police were called to the scene. When they arrived, they found the young woman half-naked near a picnic table, less than a block from the entrance to the school dance. (source)

Five suspects have now been charged in the rape and beating of the girl. But what is more astounding is that roughly 12-20 people (according to accounts) witnessed the gang rape over the 2-hour span and did absolutely nothing about it. In fact, some took pictures with their cell phones.

“She was raped, beaten, robbed and dehumanized by several suspects who were obviously OK enough with it to behave that way in each other’s presence. What makes it even more disturbing is the presence of others. People came by, saw what was happening and failed to report it.” — Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan (source)

The Bystander Effect

Some psychologists ascribe the behavior of the onlookers to “The Bystander Effect.” According to studies, individuals are less likely to intervene in an emergency/crisis if there are other people around:

“When something unusual happens, we look to others to figure out how we should react. If we see other people doing nothing, we usually conclude that nothing should be done. The problem occurs when everybody assumes the same thing, a phenomenon that psychologists call ‘pluralistic ignorance.’” (source)

That makes us all sound like mindless animals, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, many studies have found that this is the case, more often than not.

Stand Up. Say Something. Call 911.

It took over 2 hours for someone to call police to the rescue of this teen girl. In the recent case of Phillip Garrido, all his neighbors thought he was creepy and probably up to something illegal. But because no one was willing to push the matter, Jaycee Duggard was imprisoned in his backyard for 18 years.

We might think it is uncomfortable to intervene in a domestic dispute. Or we might think that someone else will call 911. We may even fear for our own safety if we witness the victimization of another. But studies have shown that when people know about the Bystander Effect, they are less likely to sit idly by while someone else is in trouble.

So consider this your education. Don’t be a victim of the Bystander Effect. When you see someone in trouble, being assaulted or victimized; stand up, say something, and call the police. You may prevent this type of atrocious act from happing to another teen girl outside a high-school dance.

George Feder was the “Houdini of Jewel Thieves” through the 60s and 70s until he was caught by the FBI and received a 15-year prison sentence. Now he works with law enforcement and is an advocate for crime prevention. Feder has the inside track to the criminal mind and can tell you exactly what a burglar looks for when they are looking to break into your residence.

The video below shows Feder demonstrating how he used to break into apartments. As he goes through his process, he offers subtle hints as to what you can do to make your home an unattractive target for other burglars.

Feder will also soon be contributing his experience and passion for crime prevention to this very blog. Look for his posts soon. In the mean time you can visit his website and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

For good reason, Halloween strikes fear into the hearts of parents everywhere. Not only is there the threat of ghosts and ghouls, but it’s the one night of the year when we send our children out to wander the streets of our cities and towns to beg candy from complete strangers. Which is, pretty much, the exact opposite of what we try and teach them the other 364 days of the year.

Halloween also has a reputation for being a night, more than others, when children are preyed upon by twisted individuals who what to poison their candy and kidnap them. It’s easy to see how these fears have arisen. Given the creepiness of the holiday along with the anonymity of costumed adults, walks in the dark, and bags full of candy from strangers, it’s not surprising that parents have put barriers in place to prevent crime against their children on this night.

However, two specific fears have been allowed to fester in the minds of concerned parents for years, but have no actual basis in reality. In order to truly keep your children safe on Halloween, its best to dispel the myths and deal with the real threats of the holiday.

Poison Candy

For years, news media and community groups have counseled parents to vigorously inspect their children’s candy for razor blades, pins, or poison. (As well, shortly after 9/11 parents were told to inspect candy for Anthrax.) But you will be hard pressed to find a single case of Halloween candy poisoning, let alone candy laced with razor blades or pins. In fact, there has never been a recorded case of mass Halloween candy poisoning.

There was a case in 1974, where a father slipped a cyanide-laced Pixie stick into his son’s trick-or-treating bag. The son died, but the father was found guilty of murder and executed for his crime. So, according to precedent, Halloween candy from strangers is statistically safer than candy from family and friends. (For more on this myth, click here.)

Child Molesters

In general, most people are afraid of sex offenders and for good reason. Sex offender residency laws are popular precisely because no one wants to associate with a known rapist or raise their children next door to a child molester. However, there is a sense that child molesters pose a greater threat on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Maybe it’s the hordes of children knocking on neighborhood doors that gets us thinking about sex offenders in the area, but in reality sex crimes against children have never increased on Halloween. Actually, sex crimes against children are traditionally higher during summer months, and tend to decrease as the weather gets cooler.

Real Threats

By no means is Halloween the safest holiday of the year or the most crime free. Children are still at risk for getting lost or injuring themselves while walking around a dark neighborhood in a cumbersome costume. Make sure that your children are accompanied by an adult at all times—preferably with a flashlight. Also, make sure your children know basic traffic safety rules. Besides preventing them from eating too much candy, the best thing you can do for your children on Halloween is to be with them and make sure they have fun.

Late last week I posted on Halloween safety myths about poison candy and sex offenders, but now that all-hallows’-eve is approaching, it might also be good to go over some basic Halloween safety tips that will help you and your children have a fun time this Saturday night.

Set Clear Rules

As parents it’s important to set clear rules and expectations for your children on Halloween night.

Set a clear curfew

Agree on a trick-or-treating route so you will know where your children are

Know what parties and places your children will be

Tricks

Halloween seems to be the one time of year that good kids think it’s okay to do bad things. Talk to your children about the consequences of vandalism, graffiti, theft, or destruction of property. Smashing pumpkins, stealing candy from smaller children, egging houses/cars, and other destructive acts may seem harmless to inexperienced kids, but they could have far-reaching consequences, emotionally for the victims and legally for the perpetrators. Keep your children out of trouble by clearly letting them know about the consequences of their actions.

Costumes

It’s fun to dress up on Halloween, but some costumes can present safety hazards if they are overly cumbersome, awkward, or restrict a child’s vision. These costumes can present a tripping hazard or prevent children from seeing well enough to avoid dangerous objects in the dark. No child wants to sprain an ankle on Halloween and go home early without collecting all the candy booty they can. As well, make sure that any props (fake knives, swords, sticks, etc.) the children carry are soft or pliable enough to not cause injury if they are fallen upon.

Image courtesy of the US Comsumer Product Safety Commision

Safety

Because so many children and families will be out in the dark on Halloween night, basic safety tips are even more important.

Make sure younger children are always accompanied by an adult or teenaged sibling with a flashlight

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 552, 000 females, age 12 and older, experienced non-fatal violence from an intimate partner in 2008. In 2007, 1,640 females were killed by an intimate partner, making up 70% of all intimate partner homicides. And although the numbers of women killed by an intimate partner has declined in the last decade, I don’t know anyone who thinks these numbers are low enough.

To make things worse, the reach of domestic violence goes beyond the immediate victim. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 38% of victims of domestic violence had children under the age of 12 living in the home. And of those children in the home, it is estimated that 60% directly witnessed the violence. (See full statistics from the BJS here.)

Societal Impediments

For some reason, our society, and many others across the globe, have an aversion to interfering in domestic violence incidents. Some people feel that it’s a family matter or that they have no business getting into a fight between spouses or family members. This attitude has even been reflected in law enforcement practice, waiting for a battered woman to press charges against an abuser before taking any legal action. But perhaps things are changing with a new program created by the Baltimore Police Department.

A New Way to Fight Domestic Violence

The Baltimore PD has created a new Family Crime Unit designed specifically to intervene in domestic violence situations early, before these situations descalate into serious injury or death. According to Peter Hermann, of the Baltimore Sun, the new unit has been modeled after the homicide division, in order to more aggressively act on domestic violence incidents and prevent further violence before it happens. And the unit is already seeing some success. For example, this year, Baltimore has only seen 4 domestic killings, as opposed to 13-14 in years previous. And this success comes at a time when the economy is down, traditionally a time when domestic violence rises. (Read about the extent of the program here.)

Their approach to domestic violence is something that needs to be modeled in other law enforcement agencies across the county. Domestic violence is NOT just a family matter. It affects us all. Be aware of the issues and become an active citizen in favor of a smarter, more aggressive domestic violence response unit for you local law enforcement agency.

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this blog are those of the individual contributing bloggers and may not necessarily reflect the official or actual opinions of CrimeReports, its parent company Public Engines, or any of its employees.